“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please… If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16-17,25-26 NASB1995)
When we believe in Jesus Christ with childlike faith in him, a faith which comes from God, is gifted to us by God, and is persuaded of God, and not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as servants of God and of his righteousness. Sin no longer is to have mastery over our lives, but now our lives are to be under Holy Spirit control. So we put sin to death daily, by the Spirit, and we obey God’s commands.
[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14]
This is what it means to walk by the Spirit. For faith in Jesus Christ is not a mere profession of him as Lord and/or an acknowledgment of his death and resurrection. It means a heart and life and character transformation, of the Spirit of God, in turning us from darkness (sin) to light (righteousness), and from the power (control) of Satan to God, to walk in the ways of the Lord, so that we may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (see Acts 26:18). This is what it is all about.
Just because we are not living under the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, circumcision, dietary, and Sabbath laws, it does not mean we can now be lawless. For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to free us from our slavery (addiction) to sin so we will now serve him with our lives in surrender to his will, in submission to him as Lord (Owner-Master), and in walks of obedience to his commands, in the power of God. But if sin is what we obey, and not God, we do not have life in Christ.
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
So, God’s grace to us is not freedom to keep sinning deliberately and habitually while ignoring our Lord’s New Covenant commandments. Freedom from the Old Covenant Law is also not permission to now be lawless.
For we learn in 1 John 1-3 that if we claim that we have fellowship with God, but yet we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars. If we claim that we know God, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, we are liars. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Walking in The Light
Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
When I lift up my voice, and
Sing praise unto God,
I will fellowship with my
Lord and Savior, King.
In Him there is no darkness.
He is in the light of truth.
If we walk in His light,
From sin He purifies.
If we repent of our sins,
He’ll forgive us now,
When we humble ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I know Him,”
But does not obey His truth,
There is no truth in him.
In darkness still he’s found.
Do not love the world of sin,
For it is hell bound.
If you follow the world, you’ll
Not in Christ be found.
The world and its desires
Will not last; they’ll expire.
The one who does God’s will,
Receives eternal life.
See that what you have heard from
Christ remains in you.
Then, you’ll remain in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He promised us –
His eternal life with God.
So, continue in Him, and
You’ll receive a crown.
Walk by The Spirit
An Original Work / December 12, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
